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The Main Factors Contributing to Social Inequality and How They Can Be Addressed

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Prejudice and discrimination are still prominent all over the world, affecting people’s lives

overall well-being, learning, and health, opportunities for getting a job, and having a shelter. It

arises from a multiplicity of causes, which can be discussed under the following major domains:

the economic differences, educational disadvantages, discrimination, and resource discrepancies.

It is, therefore, crucial to comprehend these, as they act as essential frameworks when

developing strategies to address social inequality.

Economic factors are probably the most blatant and clear-cut components of social

differentiation. Within most contemporary societies there appears to be an unequal distribution

of wealth such that only a few individuals dominate the rest in the accumulation of wealth. It has

established an economic circle where the rich get the best chances of their investments hence

improving their economic level while the poor on the other side have no good chances hence

their economic status does not change (Piketty 23). Concerning the inversion economic

problems, the progressive taxation and the policies of the redistribution of the wealth must form

the foundation. This may include higher taxation on the rich people, the hiking of minimum

wages and initiating of social welfare reinforcing as a way of protecting the vulnerable in the

society.

Equal education is also one of the key features of protracted social inequality. Education is still

elitist; children from wealthy families attend schools which receive larger subsidies and provide

better conditions, greater chances for scholastic and extra-curricular achievements. On the other

hand, schools established in areas with low income always experience an acute deficiency of

resources that can help them offer quality education (Reardon 204). To rectify unfair distribution

of education, policies that consist of changes in school funding, teachers’ training, and other
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adjustments which should ensure that students from less advantaged families should be provided

equally as those students from well-endowed families ought to be adopted.

Discrimination is another critical factor that leads to social inequality, systemic discrimination in

particular. Prejudice and discrimination by race, gender, sexual orientation and many others

acting as barriers in certain aspects of life interferes with the equal opportunities of persons liable

to such barriers. For instance, there continues to be disparity in wages between Whites and other

races, as well as men and women, even if profound progress was made in the Civil Rights

movement (Moss-Racusin et al. 16474). The process of eradicating prejudice entails providing

and enforcing anti-prejudice legislation, diversity and multiculturalism in the workforce and

schools, and altering the climate of prejudice.

Lack of equal availability of resources including health facilities, shelters as well as social

facilities aggravates social justice inequality. These minorities end up with a worse health status,

insecure shelter and low quality of life because they have limited access to these services

(Braveman et al. 387). In this regard, it is necessary to involve all people in providing them with

equal opportunities in receiving necessary products. This can be done by coming up with policies

that enlarge the health insurance coverage, provide more affordable houses, enhancing the

availability and quality of social services.

In conclusion, the phenomenon we explore in our papers, social inequality, is stimulated by

economic differences, educational discrimination, racism, sexism and lack of equal

opportunities. These factors can only be tackled by changes in policies right down to educational

sector, fight against discrimination as well as expansion of available services. Thus, eradicating

such causes will lead to societies’ evolution and promote equality as well as social justice for

everyone to enjoy a successful life.

Works Cited

Braveman, Paula, et al. "Health Disparities and Health Equity: The Issue is Justice." American

Journal of Public Health, vol. 101, no. S1, 2011, pp. S149-S155.

Moss-Racusin, Corinne A., et al. "Science Faculty’s Subtle Gender Biases Favor Male Students."

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 109, no. 41, 2012, pp. 16474-16479.

Piketty, Thomas. Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Harvard University Press, 2014.

Reardon, Sean F. "The Widening Academic Achievement Gap Between the Rich and the Poor:

New Evidence and Possible Explanations." Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality, Schools,

and Children’s Life Chances, edited by Greg J. Duncan and Richard J. Murnane, Russell Sage

Foundation, 2011, pp. 91-116.